Kreuz
by Sakura Blackwolf
Summary: (Zack/Aerith) - Weeks before the mission to Nibelheim, Zack finds himself in the presence of a flower girl from the slums.


Kreuz  
  
by Sakura Blackwolf  
  
  
  
Zack sighed and watched idly as the breath swirled into appearance by the cold air of Midgar. Midgar was always a cold city, even with the mako reactors there to keep warmth. But to Zack it would always be cold.   
  
'Sometimes I think Shinra doesn't give a shit as to what happens to us', Zack thought bitterly,' and Cloud-kun won't talk to me.' Zack recalled the previous incident. A couple of recruits had hurt him in the mess hall, telling him that Zack wouldn't come for a nobody like him(as he had heard from another recruit who was running away). After Cloud had lost consiousness, Zack rushed in from Sephiroth's office. When he had woken up, the blond refused to talk to him.  
  
The soldier cursed under his breath, "I should've gone with him. Oh Cloud-kun," He gazed at the curtained covered window which showed the silhouette of a hunched over figure," not even words can express how gulity I feel. Seph..is this how you feel sometimes? I think I can emphasize you now," he chuckled dryly.  
  
"Excuse me?" Zack turned his head at the sound of a soft voice beside him. Looking at him with kind green eyes, was a girl, maybe one year older than Cloud, with long braided brown hair dressed in a long green dress. Resting on her forearms was a basket of various flowers. Zack paid more attention to the flowers. There's something you don't see in Midgar everyday.  
  
"Would you like to buy a flower, sir? Only one gil per flower," she chirped.  
  
Normally, Zack would've been flirting with the girl, but right now he didn't feel up to it. So he lifted himself off the wall he had been leaning on and faced the younger woman. Pulling on a smile, he nodded, "Sure."  
  
Happily, she picked out a freesia from the pile of plants and handed it to Zack in exchange for one gil. Zack admired the high orange petals, and instead of fishing out one gil, he handed her five, "Here. Take this instead." Zack didn't know what was wrong with him. Shinra..missions..Cloud. That must be it.  
  
The girl looked at the gil in awe, "Sir. May I ask if something is wrong?" People never gave her five gil for one flower. So something must've been wrong.  
  
Zack sighed. It probably would be better if he talked things out. Sephiroth was busy with paperwork, and the other soldiers wouldn't understand as well as he would want them to understand. Sure they were great friends, but none could ever get why Zack was so taken with Cloud. They tried to act like they did, but Zack could sense the uncertainity in their voices.  
  
"It's nothing you should concern yourself with. My friend is just feeling down that's all." 'Wait, that's not all. Shinra is a bloody bastard who only cares about money and victory!' The girl stared at him for a minute, "You don't have to be afraid to tell me everything, sir."  
  
"Zack. Just call me Zack. I hate being formal," he chuckled. When he stopped, he stared at the girl. Apparently, she knew there was more than just ' my friend is feeling blue, so I am too.' Taking a deep breath, he began to explain what had happened. Throughout the whole thing, he could tell she could empahsize, which made him feel better.  
  
"I see," she murmured. She quietly looked at the cattelyas in her baskets and picked out five of the pink blossoms. With her free hand, she took Zack's own and placed the cattelyas on top of his palm, along with the single freesia. Raising her bright green eyes, she smiled, "Don't worry, Zack-kun. I'm sure he'll be fine. These cattelyas are for the extra money you gave me, "giggling, she turned around and began looking for other people who may need flowers.  
  
Zack stared for a minute before grabbing her arm, "Hey wait! What's your name?"  
  
She turned her head around, "Aerith."  
  
  
  
Zack opened the dorm's door slowly. He immediately tried to raise his spirits as he saw the lean figure of Cloud on the window sill. Slowly, he walked over to the sad form, feared that he might decide to jump out the window at his presence.  
  
"You aren't gonna jump out that window are ya?" he asked more solemnly than jokingly.  
  
"Maybe." Zack blanched. Zack made his way quicker to Cloud and sat down behind the blond boy.  
  
"Cloud-kun, don't say that. I had no idea what was happening until that recruit informed me. Please Cloud-kun, at least understand." Zack could feel the tension creep along his insides and rest at his spine.  
  
Cloud slowly turned towards Zack, his blue eyes brimming with moisture, "I'm sorry, Zack-kun," he murmured softly.  
  
Zack wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, comfortly rubbing his back as Cloud buried his face in his chest. The soldier began to feel moisture buliding on his shirt and pulled the boy closer, "No Cloud-kun. You don't have to apologize. There's nothing to be ashamed about. It's not your fault the whole thing started."  
  
"No, Zack-kun! No! I let their words get to me. I drove you away!"the boy exclaimed. Zack petted the blond's hair.  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore Cloud-kun. You'll always have my forgiveness. You know that."  
  
Cloud sniffled and pulled back, nodding . Soon the boy caught eye of the bundle of flowers in Zack's grasp. An orange flower, freesia, and four pink ones, cattelyas. Zack noticed Cloud looking at the blossoms and smiled. He took the freesia and happily strung it through Cloud's hair, giggling to himself.  
  
Cloud blinked and immediately grabbed one of the cattelyas and put it through Zack's black strands, just like he had him. Zack laughed and in exchange for that, he added another flower to Cloud's crown of hair. This went on until their supply of flowers ran out. Cloud had one freesia and two cattelyas, while Zack had only two of the pink flowers. Both boys were caught in fits of laughter at the sight of one another. Any sign of Zack or Cloud being despaired soon faded and were place by pure ecstasy.  
  
"Zack-kun, where did you get these flowers? I've never seen any in Midgar,"Cloud asked while plucking out each one stuck in his hair. Zack also pulled out the blossoms and thought back to where he met Aerith.  
  
"While I was reminiscing(wipe that look of surprise off your face Cloud-kun), a girl, probably a year older than you approached me. She most likely came from the slums since in this city, I haven't seen a single flower in sight, unless they were fake or somethin'," Zack grinned.   
  
"Is she your new girlfriend?"  
  
"Why? Jealous?"  
  
"N-no! Zack! I'm too young to have a girlfriend! You know that! Besides, I'm not interested in that stuff."  
  
Zack chuckled, "Sure, Cloud-kun."  
  
  
  
"Oh! Hi there!"  
  
Zack turned around. There she was. Aerith. Aerith ran over to him just as he came in from walking across the street. Zack smiled at her, "Hi there, Aerith-chan!"  
  
She smiled back, "You seem happier. I trust that things went well with your friend?"  
  
"Yup! Your flowers also helped too, just so ya know."  
  
Aerith giggled. Suddenly, her pale hand took his, "Come on! I want to show you something!" Zack blinked for half a second before being pulled away. Racing through to the sector 5 slums, she dragged him to a church, with windows made of stained glass. Zack barely had time to stare in awe as Aerith pulled him inside. The seats were all empty. But other than that, Zack paid most attention to the center of the church. The part of the flooring was removed as well as the roof. The soldier noticed it was done so so that the sunlight could reach the patch of grass that was hidden underneath.  
  
Zack drew himself closer. The patch of grass was as well accompanied by various flowers. Roses, gentians, freesias, cattelyas, and many others. He took in a deep breath once he realized his shipment of oxygen had stopped. He looked towards Aerith who had just settled behind a bundle of tiger lilies, "I come here everyday and plant new flowers. Then maybe Midgar would lighten up some more."  
  
Zack smiled and sat down beside her,"That's very thoughtful of you Aerith-chan."  
  
"Zack-kun, what's your friend like?"  
  
Zack sighed and looked at the broken ceiling, the smile still dazzled his features, even more so as the sunlight touched his cheeks, "He's very sweet. Also very polite," he chuckled, remembering one incident in the dorm room.  
  
/Ah! I'm sorry I spilled your drink, Zack-kun!/  
  
/Nah! It's ok Cloud-kun! You don't have to be sorry/  
  
/Ah! I'm sorry for being sorry!/  
  
Zack had laughed afterwards.   
  
"You'd like him. Sometimes when I'm with him, I just don't want to leave him even though I have to."  
  
Aerith smiled,"He does sound a nice person."  
  
  
  
"So Zack, enlighten me, who's this new girlfriend you've found?" Sephiroth asked as he looked up from his paperwork. He needed this conversation. God, how agonizing to slave over papers.  
  
Zack grinned,"Think female Cloud, and there's your answer!"  
  
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. A female Cloud? Sephiroth unfolded his fingers and removed the glasses he wore so he didn't miss any specific text. Zack just grinned more at his friend's reaction.  
  
"Alright alright. I guess that won't suit you enough. She's this flower girl in the sector 5 slums who sells flowers in Midgar. Yesterday, she took me to an old church where she grew most of her flowers. Said that the rest was at home, wherever that is."  
  
"Aren't you going to say names?"  
  
"But that would be telling," the Gongagan smirked.  
  
  
Weeks went by and Zack had continued to hang around Aerith. Soon Cloud and Sephiroth had begun to tease him about it. Well, mostly Sephiroth. Cloud was too shy to mention anything. Midgar seemed to brighten for Zack everyday he met the flower girl at the church. Until that mission came up. Sephiroth and Zack were ordered to go to Nibelheim and bring along two recruits. Cloud being one of them since he was the only one familar with Nibelheim. The day before, Zack told Sephiroth he was going to go say goodbye to Aerith.   
  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow, Aerith-chan. If I had a choice, I wouldn't go at all! But Heidegger..-God!" Zack exclaimed.  
  
Aerith's bright green eyes had dulled in color," I see. Be careful, Zack-kun. I'll be waiting for you."  
  
"Aerith-chan.."Zack walked over to the brunette and pulled her into his arms, "I won't forget you. I'll come back, and then things will be calm again. I promise."  
  
She sniffled into his chest,"A-alright. I trust you, Zack."  
  
Reluctantly, he pulled back and then gave her a kiss on the cheek,"Thank you, Aerith-chan. You've made my life a lot brighter since I joined Soldier."  
  
  
But he never did come back  
  
  
-Owari-  
  
I dunno what deprived me to write this, but I liked it. Normally, I don't do romance and stuff, but I guess I felt better if the Zack/Aerith couple was supported some more than the Cloud/Aerith one. Besides, it's nice to get away from the shounen ai ideas once in a while ^_^  
  
Sakura Blackwolf 


End file.
